Filing device



J. H. RAND.

FILING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FlLED SEPT.25, I916- 1,362,960. at nted De ,1920.

2 SHEET HEET I.

J. H. RAND.

FILING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT.25. 1916.

1,362,960. Patented Dec. 21,1920.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

5 x Z2 y y v 9 9 a Z7 vu@%7 rwye ' UNITED STATES JAMES H. RAND, OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK.

FILING nnvicn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Application filed September 25, 1916. Serial No. 122,082.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMEs H. RAND, a citizen of the United Sta .s, and resident of North Tonawanda, 1 the county of Niagara and State of New York. have invented new and useful Improvements in Filing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to filing devices and consists in the novel features hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate certain embodiments of the invent1on,

F igure 1 is a longitudinal, vertical section of a filing device containing the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a series of the compartment frames used therein;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the index guides;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View on a reduced scale of the device as a whole;

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section of an other form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a series of the compartment frames of the form shown in F ig; 5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the folders or indexed elements;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a group of said indexed elements in a compartment frame of the kind shown in Figs. 5 and 6;

and

Fig. 9 is a sectional detail on line 9---9 of Fig.6.

Referring first to the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, (t represents a casing in the form of a drawer or tray such as is commonly used for card indexes or vertical filing systems. A number of con1- partment frames are arranged side by side in the casing, formed of flexible, resilient material such as sheet metal, and bent U- shaped to form a bottom orbase b and a pair of upstanding side walls I), Z). Each pair of juxtaposed side walls Z), 3), con stitutes a flexible partition, of whichthe edge adjoining the bases Z2, Z2 is fixed in po sition, while the free portions of the walls or partitions may be deflected.

Indexed elements of any desired character may be filed in the compartments formed by these flexible partitions. For example, guide cards of usual form a, bearing suitable index tabs 0' if desired, may be inserted, and in Two distinct advantages are attained by the flexible partitions, namely, they will yield to facilitate inspection of the filed papers of any group without removing the papers from the compartment; and if the bulk of the filed papers belonging to the classification of the material in any compartment exceeds the normal capacity of the compartment, the walls will yield to receive the excess. Each compartment is also removable individually to permit the inspection or use of any group of filed papers apart from the case, without disturbing other matter'in the case.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 to 8, the casing a is open at the side instead of the top, while the several compartment frames are similarin construction to those already described but shaped to conform to the case a.

The indexed elements, such as folders e, are held in the compartments between the flexible walls I), b, and as the indexed elements are inserted and removed through the front of the casing instead of through the top, it is suflicient if the partitions may be deflected in the region of their front and top portions. The rear edges, as well as the bottom edges adjoining the bases 7), may therefore be held fixed at least in part by reinforcing straps b of sheet metal extending between the rear edges of the side walls of each compartment frame. This form of the invention possesses substantially the same advantageous features and the same functional capacities as the form first described.

I claim:

1. A filing device comprising a casing and a plurality of U-shaped compartment frames arranged side by side in the casing, each frame comprising a bottom and two upstanding partitions of flexible, resilient material, adapt-ed normally to assume a substantially upright parallel relation one to the other, while the free portions of said resilient partitions are capable of being deflected, the edge of each flexible partition adjoining the base being held in a rigid fixed position along its entire length, whereby the said partition is permitted to be deflected and automatically returned to its upright position uniformly throughout its entire length.

2. A filing device comprising a casing and a plurality of compartment frames arranged side by side. in the casing, each frame being formed of a single piece of flexible resilient sheet material bent U-shaped to form a bottom and a pair of upstanding side walls, adapted normally to assume a substantially upright barallel relation one to the other, while the free portions of said resilient walls are capable of being deflected, the edge of each flexible upstanding wall adjoining the base being held in a rigid, fixed position along its entire length, whereby the said upstanding Wall is permitted to be deflected and automatically returned to its upright position uniformly throughout its entire length.

' 3. A filing device comprising a casing and a plurality of compartment frames arranged side by side in the casing, each frame being formed of flexible resilient sheet material bent U-shaped to form a bottom and a pair of upstanding side walls, and a connecting strap at one side of ear-h pair of walls the free portions of said walls being capable of being deflected, the edge of each flexible upstanding wall at right angles to the said connecting strap being held adjoining the base in a rigid, fixed position along its entire length, whereby the said upstanding Wall is permitted to be deflected and automatically returned to its upright position uniformly throughout its entire length.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 22nd day of September, 1916.

JAMES H. RAND. 

